the clock is ticking for congress to get something done or risk taking the nation over the fiscal cliff. >>good afternoon. i'm steve >> we welcome our viewers. our top story president obama has invited the four congressional leaders to the white house this afternoon to try to salvage negotiations before need the new year's day deadline. if an agreement is not reached by then

tax hikes and spending will kick in. economists say it could send the country back into recession. republicans and democrats are blaming each other for the stalemate. the democrats want to extend the bush era tax cuts for those thinking less than $250,000. >> to taxes will go up for every taxpaying american. republicans are not about to write a blank check to us because we find ourselves at the edge of the cliff. >> consistently show that a majority of americans support the president's position on tax es. >> did the shooting as the chicago at 500 homicides for the year.

>> so far no comment yet. chicago police have been working hard to prevent it. the 500 happened last night. the shooting death on the west side. 40 year-old nathaniel jackson was pronounced dead just after midnight. three hours after he was shot in the head. his death pushed chicago homicide rate to 500. today that is the talk of the town. >> it is crazy. i think these people are going out of their mind. the need to do something about >> this is only the second time this decade that the homicide rate has hit 500. there were 512 in 2008. the number dropped in recent years. earlier this you're the police superintendent shook up the department to target high crime areas. some

feel that is having an effect. >> mccarthy noted recently that overall crime is down by 12 percent. the milestone murder number of 500 as many wary about chicagos national reputation as well as their own safety. >> i do not feel safe at all. i was dodging bullets growing up. maybe next year police will try harder against. >> the mayor's office called the milestone tragic and unfortunate. a reminder of the damage caused by illegal guns and gangs. >> the year to date total actually stands at 499 with one death investigation still pending classification. a warning for residents on

chicago's southwest side: there have been several robberies there within the last few days. police say a man is approaching people, pulling out a handgun and then demanding money and debit cards. the robberies happened this past sunday, monday, and wednesday. they took place at 62nd and kedzie. 53rd and pulaski. 61st and pulaski. 63rd and pulaski.. and 64th and kedzie. if you have any information, give police a call. there are also two robbers on- the-loose in waukegan. targeting a-t-m users at night. police say the suspects are going up to bank customers as they withdraw money, showing black handguns, and then are demanding cash. they have successfully carried out two robberies, and tried two other times. the suspects are wearing ski masks during their hold-ups. they are believed to be teenagers. a teacher at rich east high school is suspended and could be fired. accused of having inappropriate contact with a student, no word on when the alleged contact took place. the teacher is a male, and specializes in math. but, park forest police say he didn't do anything illegal, and

won't file any charges against him. he's the second teacher at the school within the last two months... to allegedly have inappropriate contact with a student. the illinois department of children and family services has also been notified. former white sox catcher carlton fisk will pay a fine but will not do any jail time for driving drunk. he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence. police found him past of inside of a pickup truck. he had an open bottle of vodka with him. a judge ordered him to pay $1,250 and serve a year of supervision. u.s. baird jail time because this is his first offense. metra trains will soon be equipped with additional safety measures. the agency plans to put 300- defibrillators on commuter trains. they'll be installed in all metra trains by next month. metra facilities and police vehicles will also get the devices. experts say having the

defibrillators on board could mean life or death for travellers who suffer a cardiac arrest. the defibrillators are already available in about half of metra trains. students are using how they brick to rest and relax a bunch of others are preparing dilapidated auditoriums at several schools. more on the project. >> hanging out, staying out late sleeping in. not these kids. they're hard at work learning new skills and learning some extra money. >> it started with the metal and black. then we go into the ground. then we do a nice little stain. she is one of 40 students taking part in the auditorium seeding project. a community organization hired students to repair dilapidated auditoriums

at various schools throughout the district. the group made up of 20 girls and 20 boys work from 3-8:00 p.m. and paid $10 an hour to the painting, welding carpentry. >> most of the crime is committed between 3-8. it refocuses the fact that they have something to do. the program established in 2005 helped give students a sense of responsibility. sprucing up auditoriums like this one at an elementary where graffiti and king signs once covered the seats and walls. >> to teach me out of trouble and teaches me responsibility. >> each student must have a c average. 90 percent of them are at risk you kept busy working and off the streets. their top financial skills and are encouraged to open bank accounts.

>> we basically want them to save so much of the money that they make rather than just going out and spending it. >> the group will work through the rest of the school year and it is so popular that there's actually a waiting list for students to get in. the program director hopes to take the program to other major cities across the united states. next why the u.s. closed its embassy in central africa and told americans there to evacuate. also ahead this midday. the search for more answers after the school shooting in newtown connecticut. scientists look into what could have motivated the gunman. and, for the second time in a month a person is pushed to their death in front of a new york subway.

he is scheduled to make a formal announcement at some point tomorrow. the earlier this month he was arrested at the airport

when security inspectors found a gun on his carry-on bag. he claimed he used the gun at his other job with a security company and forgot he packed it. the american embassy in the central african republic is temporarily closed, and american citizens are being told to evacuate the country. rebel forces in the central african republic have seized territory, and are now advancing upon the capital city of bangui. and the state department fears another violent struggle for power. the country's president is pleading with foreign leaders to help him fend off the rebels. russian president vladimir putin has signed a controversial bill barring americans from adopting russian children. the bill could become law as early as tuesday. the measure was drafted in retaliation for a u-s law which forbids russians accused of human rights violations from entering the u-s or owning real estate. there are 46-american families with pending adoptions. the russian government now aims to block those. families in russia and the u-s argue the bill victimizes

children to make a political point. experts will study the d-n-a of the man behind the newtown connecticut school shooting. earlier this month, adam lanza killed 27 people, including 20 children, before killing himself. geneticists hope something in lanza's d-n-a will provide clues as to why he went on a killing spree. other experts say there are many genetic combinations that contribute to mental illness and it may be too difficult to blame any single mutation. the police union of newtown is asking for "extraordinary benefits" for officers who were first on the scene of the sandy hook school shooting. some of the first responders remain so traumatized by what they saw- they are unable to return to work. >> we have seen this happen in colorado and virginia tech. the effects of this type of emotional trauma are long lasting. >>newtown police officers currently get 10 paid sick days has a year. lawyers claim that's not enough

to cope with a tragedy of this magnitude. lawmakers to expand worker's compensation benefits for officers who witness horrific crime scenes. a woman from new york was arrested for posing as one of the relatives of newtown victim. authorities say alba, of the bronx, used her facebook page to claim she was the aunt of sandy hook victim noah. she solicited money for what she said were the little boy's funeral expenses. instead, fed says, she kept the money for herself. >> i think of these scammers. they're stealing from them. they are survivors of this tragedy. the f-b-i says all donations have since been returned to the donors. alba claims someone else hacked her facebook page. she could face five years in prison. for the second time this month a man has been killed after being pushed in front of a subway train in new york. witnesses say a woman had been following the man and mumbling to herself before shoving him onto the tracks in queens last

night. the victim's indentity has not been released. the woman ran away but police are using surveillance video to identify her. its unclear if the two knew each other.. or if anyone had tried to help the man before he was struck by the 11-car train. >> need to slow the train down to about 15 m.p.h. so something like that does happen they have time to stop the train. on december third han was pushed in front of an oncoming train. a man has been charged in his death. in his name when he led troops in the persian gulf war. he

earned the nickname stormin norman. retired after his final military assigned in 1992. he was 78. former president george gage bush said he was one of the great leaders of his generation. the former president remains in intensive care and houston. he had been hospitalized for more than a month now. after first coming down with bronchitis. he is being treated for a fever. he will probably be in the hospital for a while longer. he is alert and talking to medical staff. he is thought oldest living former president. he has been using a wheelchair for more than a year now. hillary clinton returns to work next week. she has been out of office for three weeks now because of a stomach flu and a concussion from a fall. she's

promised to testify before congress about september's deadly consulate attack and in gauzy libya. the obama administration has been criticized for failing to offer adequate protection for the consulate and giving out misleading information about the attacks. hillary clinton says he takes responsibility for that. clinton says she takes responsibility for that. next, we're checking in on the markets as we inch closer to the so- called fiscal cliff. also ahead, what certain satellite cable customers can expect on their bill in the new year. and in lunchbreak: a "lean and green" sandwich made with edamame.

reports on theports on the east coast will remain open. they have reached a tentative deal. the association will continue negotiations for another 30 days to work out remaining issues. the majority of the dispute was over the so-called container royalty fee. without the agreement a strike would have shut down ports from maine all the way to texas for the first time in 35 years. we still have the fiscal cliff to deal with. stocks falling for a fifth straight day. that is the longest slump since september. direct tv customers are in for some higher bills. about 4.5% higher. the company is putting the blame on tv channel owners saying those channels are increasing the fees that they

charge direct tv for the rights to broadcast programming. the new prices will take effect on february 7th. american airlines and usair rays were looking at plans to merge. the merger may not happen. that is unless pilot groups from both carriers can agree on interim contract terms. pilots are concerned about seniority if and when those airlines merge as they determine compensation, work schedules the type of aircraft flown. if there were to join forces and would become the world's largest airline based on passenger traffic. next expert tips on avoiding car collisions. and just ahead what you may find in the produce aisle that could curb the effects of a hangover. and live music this midday from bryan white. he's on stage tomorrow night at seven, at the woodstock opera house.

>> [music] hello, i'm alex trebek. for over 10 years now, i've been representing the colonial penn life insurance company and i'm here today to talk with some of their insurance representatives about their guaranteed acceptance life insurance. that was a really good point. hi, alex. hi, everyone. i thought it'd be interesting to hear from you what your customers say are some of the things they like best about colonial penn's whole life insurance. who's gonna start? well, it's guaranteed acceptance for people over age 50. they don't have to take a physical or answer any health questions. and it gives them peace of mind knowing that their family has some insurance to help cover funeral costs. and other final expenses.

great point, and that's something everybody needs to plan for, especially in this economy. it costs just $9.95 a month per unit. it's an affordable way to provide protection for loved ones. yes, and that rate never goes up. and their coverage never goes down because of their age. they can get permanent insurance at a price that fits into their budget. alex: do you want to help protect your loved ones from the burden of final expenses? if you're between 50 and 85, you should call colonial penn now. for just $9.95 a month per unit you can get quality insurance that does not require any health questions or a medical exam. your rate will never increase and your coverage will never decrease. that's guaranteed. now whether you're getting new insurance or supplementing what you already have, call now and ask one of their representatives about a plan that meets your needs. they're waiting to hear from you, so call now.

the experts say cars have gotten safer.

so "automobile magazine" editor-in-chief jean jennings shows us the the new technology to save us from crashes. >>what are the best options to avoid fender benders? >> there is an amazing amount of technology out there that will protect even the car from collisions. your car from collisions. it uses a camera system when you put the car and drive. it has blind spot monitoring. it and see if there's a car on your blind spot on the freeway. and give you a warning. if you put the car in reverse the same cameras look backwards and give you a rear view camera. this

bmw 3 series you have a camera that is a bird's eye view. it is looking down on you and your car. the real future is that volvo. it is taking that technology and american did to cruise control which keep your car the same speed. putting it all together all in you to hit a button let the car drive itself. that is the real future. it is not that far away. coming in production in 2014. for more information check out jeanknowscars.com. still to come this midday. tom skilling has your full forecast!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone deserves the gift of all day pain relief. this season,

discover aleve. all day pain relief with just two pills.

we have had a couple of inches of snow in a couple of areas. there was an interesting little path lake effect snow felt. ford has 5 in. came down and scattered spots. this is a little snow system. low clouds snowing on us this morning. the head visibilities down to fractions of a mile. we are looking north. you could see the

snow accumulating along the snoredshorelie. there's another little system that the snow on us monday night. in a december that has been decidedly un-winter like. >> running an incredible 9.3 degrees above normal. we've had only one day and the entire month that has been below normal. cuss no system could break our 307 day streak without 1 in. of snow. that is the longest streak in 54 years. one- 3 in. will be the general accumulation. you have about a

half an inch. there is our weather system right there. the bumpy clouds are the ones that are casting shadows on the lower cloud. they come off looking bumpy, satellite imagery. here's our weather system. we have one piece of energy. the main event is actually down here. it will turn into a healthy storm. this northern system is kind of a moderate and. you get a good

idea the real extent of the snow. here goes wave #one. down here in the main event the main system there is another line of severe thunderstorms. heavy winds sweeping the deep south. that is the second time they have had severe weather in the last couple of days. when their 5 mi.they are at 5 mi. that is an indication that you just have flurries going. look at the snow. go to buffalo grove, the

snow accumulations are more limited. here are some of the snow totals with a system out west of us. this system has produced respectable snow. it looks like the heaviest accumulations of snow will occur near the lake and up to the north of us. here is the model redeveloping snow later this afternoon. by 9:00 it fades out again. maybe those big flakes that always characterized lakes now. here are the moving weather maps. keep in mind that this is the main storm. they will be two

separate systems until they get out over the atlantic. it may drop some heavy snow in parts of new england within the next couple of days. here's the latest reading now much know may be coming down. i have an inch indicated. see how the snow on the main system down south is heavier down in southern sections of the midwest. we could get pretty good snow about 4 in.. the reason all of this is developing as you have very cold arctic air coming over the snowpack in the plains. for right now we're in the low

thirties around chicago. these are seasonable temperatures. the presence of all this cloud cover kept the nighttime temperatures up. cloudy skies this afternoon. some periods of light snow will redevelop from time to time. on michigan avenue the snow will stop at times. we're just above the freezing mark. tonight occasional light snow and a temperature of 23. turning windy tomorrow from the northwest. sunday partly sunny. the interesting thing next week will be we will get a pause and tug a load of that artic air down.

>> it is going to get chilly. but that it warms up again after that. >> you used the word shellacking. >> when he use that word, they have to be a little concerned. >> maybe a little overdone on the adjective. >>we have time for today's trivia. time for today's trivia. on this day in 1869 the first u.s. patent for chewing gum was issued. which main ingredient was traditionally used in making gum? a. chicle b. beeswax c. paraffin the answer still to come this midday!

time for sports. there's quite a bit at stake on sunday when the bears meet the lions at ford field. not only the playoffs, but perhaps the future of lovie smith as bears coach is on the line. coaches are paid to make the post season. the bears have struggled down the stretch for the last two years. lovie has one year left on his contract after this year. lance briggs summed it all up. >>you want to win it for us. if you have enjoyed your time here

in chicago and the way that he has treated a few and us together, if he is not here that goes with him. i've enjoyed every moment. i do not intend on that changing. the bears beat the lions at sodlier field earlier this year, and it was the defense that led the way. the final score was 13-10, with the lions making two key fumbles. kickoff is at noon on sunday. northwestern football players are enjoying the sunshine of jacksonville, florida. the wildcats meet mississippi state in the gator bowl on january first. head coach pat fitzgerald is trying to mix work and pleasure. this is the 5th year in a row

that the wildcats are in a bowl game. they have lost the first four. 19-49 is the last time northwestern won a bowl game. that's a look at sports. your live illinois lottery drawing is next. >>good afternoon. >>winning pick 3 numbers 1,59 >>time for the pick 4 gamses. >>step outside the box. go to where your dreams come true.

>>winning pick 4 numbers 8,8,7,1 >>liucky day lotto is 575,000 dollars. make your dreams come true today. ♪ ♪ constipated? yeah.

mm. some laxatives like dulcolax can cause cramps. but phillips' caplets don't. they have magnesium. for effective relief of occasional constipation. thanks. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'.

on the medical watch. a new study finds cannabis makes pain more bearable. instead of actually reducing it. scans revealed the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, known as t-h-c, reduced brain activity in areas linked to emotional reactions. researchers at the university of oxford studied 12 healthy men who were either given t-h-c or a placebo. they then had creamed rubbed on their skin to induce pain. the t-h-c recipients didn't report a change in the pain sensation, but the pain bothered them less.

a new study finds that the key to kicking your new year's hangover could already be in your kitchen. scientists have found that chemicals in asparagus could ward off the effects of a hangover. experiments on human cells found the minerals and amino acids in asparagus can replace those you lose while drinking alcohol. and that's what can give you a headache. the study also found chemicals in the vegetable could protect liver cells against toxins. the study was published in the journal of food science. lunchbreak is next. a lean sandwich packed with flavor. we're cooking with the co-founders of "tom and eddie's". this is america. we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. hello, i'm alex trebek. for over

10 years now, i've been representing the colonial penn life insurance company and i'm here today to talk with some of their insurance representatives about their guaranteed acceptance life insurance. that was a really good point. hi, alex. hi, everyone. i thought it'd be interesting to hear from you what your customers say are some of the things they like best about colonial penn's whole life insurance. who's gonna start? well, it's guaranteed acceptance for people over age 50. they don't have to take a physical or answer any health questions. and it gives them peace of mind knowing that their family has some insurance to help cover funeral costs. and other final expenses. great point, and that's something everybody needs to plan for, especially in this economy. it costs just $9.95 a month per unit. it's an affordable way to provide protection for loved ones. yes, and that rate never goes up. and their coverage never goes down because of their age. they can get permanent insurance at a price that fits into their budget. alex: do you want to help protect your loved ones from the burden of final expenses? if you're between 50 and 85, you should call colonial penn now.

for just $9.95 a month per unit you can get quality insurance that does not require any health questions or a medical exam. your rate will never increase and your coverage will never decrease. that's guaranteed. now whether you're getting new insurance or supplementing what you already have, call now and ask one of their representatives about a plan that meets your needs. they're waiting to hear from you, so call now.

in today's lunchbreak we're making a lean and green sandiwich. tom dentice and ed rensi are the founders of tom & eddies they have several area locations. thanks for coming in! you guys are food experts. experts in burger making. >>you have your own thing going on. >>we have our regular line of burgers. we have vegetarian options. pretty simple the recipe is on our site. take the beans and pickled ginger into a food processor. grind it all up.

take wheat with a little bit of water. take the wheat and edamame add carrots lemon juice. give it a little kick. a little bit of egg wine. a rice wine. mix it all up and it looks like this. >>nice and delicate. dig in there.make a big bowl. medium high heat. 2.5 minutes. makes sure you press it down on the

gril so that it seers. after it is done you turn it and season it with sea salt and pepper. >>with sea salt you really do not need as much. >>we take a multi grain bun and toast it on both sides. a garlic pesto sauce,. you end up with that over there. >>i like to eat mine plain on a bed of lettuce. the new year people have been eating too much

turkey and meat loaf. >>let's get back to eating. >>that burger over there is a brand new burger. it really looks delicious. >>the other one is an all natural chicken breast that we grill. we put sauce on it. some tomatoes. >>you guys have a burger cook off. a class in different high schools build different burgers. >>we are intorducing a new menu. 9 items under 5 bucks. local high school kids are going to

help us design the menu. >>thank you. tom and eddie, thanks so much for joining us. they have three locations in the chicago area in lombard geneva and deerfield.to learn more go to tom and eddies dot com. for today's recipe, or to watch the segment again, log on to wgn tv dot com slash midday.

man, chanting, snapping fingers: oh, those boys are much too much! those boys are much too much! we got the spirit we're hot, we can't be stopped! we got the spirit! we're hot! we can't be stopped! we're gonna beat 'em and bust 'em... announcer: the smallest moments can have the biggest impact on a child's life. both chanting: let's...get... a little bit rowdy. r-o-w--whoo!--d-y. announcer: take time to be a dad today. one more time. call or visit fatherhood.gov to learn more. time now for the answer to today's trivia question. we asked: on this day in 1869 the first u.s. patent for chewing gum was issued. which main ingredient was traditionally used ?

a. chicle b. beeswax c. paraffin the answer is a. chicle is the gum from a tropical evergreen tree. paraffin and beeswax all had been ingredients, but chicle proved the best. learn something every day. we are saying goodbye to an organized area of rain. it had visibility down to fractions of a mile. more will develop. there is the forecast this evening. to the patches of light snow. you'll see the snow plow and developing. it was that sort of events that produced a 4.5-5 in. of snow. finally it was off to the east of us. by sunday we will have partly sunny skies. if you're traveling south that

southern storm will develop its own snow area that runs along the ohio river valley. to her flood watches right there. there are red flag warnings in texas. it is official 64.4% of the country, the most nearly two years is covered by snow. at no point last winter was this how much of the united states covered by snow. colder air is going to start coming. see how the temperature is cool down as you go north. we are going to start tapping some of that cold there that is producing wind chills. the good news is. a very seasonable 32 home. the water

temperatures in the 30's. here is our jet stream. that is usually a proxy for store development. there's a system that has come up early next week. the models have been tracking south of us. the snow shield may get up. give us at least some snow. the cold air drops and, 20 on tuesday. in 18 degree high on wednesday. a little bit of chilly air. that is the worst ticket's going into january. it gets going into january. >> thank you all for joining us. >>more music from bryan white. >> [music]